The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Borescopes allow for visual inspection of engine components to find anomalies or defects in areas that may not be accessible without disassembling engine components. The use of borescopes thus reduces unnecessary time, maintenance, potential damage, and overall costs. Borescope inspections are commonly used in engines such as aircraft engines, diesel engines, automotive engines, and industrial gas turbines, among others.
Common engine components where borescope inspections are desired may include a compressor, combustion chamber, or turbine section that contain borescope inspection ports integrated into the engine structure or case in which the borescope is navigated through. It is common for engine components to have double-walled structures or casings with opposing holes. Borescope plugs close the inspection ports when the ports are not being used for inspection.
Some challenges associated with borescope plugs may include vibrations during engine operation that cause the borescope plug to become loose therefore resulting in damage to the engine component or loss of the plug. A loose borescope plug may also create leakage of dangerous high pressure engine fumes.